Two days after he left a game early due to swelling in his hand related to jamming his thumb, Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury is out of the lineup against Tigers starter and Cy Young candidate Max Scherzer. Switch-hitter Jarrod Saltalamacchia is likewise out of the lineup against Scherzer, with David Ross in the lineup against the American League’s All-Star starting pitcher this year.

That the Sox have pressed both Jonny Gomes (left field) and Ross (as catcher) into the lineup would seem a less-than ideal development, given that Scherzer has held right-handed hitters to a .154/.209/.274 line en route to his 19-1 record and 2.90 ERA. Meanwhile, Ellsbury — who had started each of the last 37 Red Sox games, and who has played in 129 of the team’s 139 contests entering Tuesday — is a career 5-for-9 with a homer and three walks against Scherzer.